5 October 2018: The World Bank approved financing for three projects on improving coastal and marine management, forest management and rural roads in Bangladesh. The projects are expected to further help reduce poverty, create livelihoods opportunities and improve resilience to climate change.
The Bangladesh Sustainable Coastal and Marine Fisheries Project (BSCMFP) aims to increase the contribution of coastal and marine fisheries to Bangladesh’s economy, environmental stability and poverty reduction. The project will improve fisheries management and infrastructure, strengthen aquaculture productivity and biosecurity and expand mariculture. The project will establish community co-management associations with fishing communities in ten coastal districts to enable them to adopt alternative and supplementary livelihoods and will empower women through skills development and nutrition awareness activities. The project will also improve vessel registration and licensing for fishing and expand the fisher ID card system. The World Bank has approved US$240 million for the project.
The Sustainable Forests and Livelihoods Project aims to plant a coastal green belt in Bangladesh to enhance climate resilience.
The Sustainable Forests and Livelihoods Project (SUFAL) will employ a collaborative forest management approach to improve forest cover and increase benefits for forest dependent communities in targeted sites in Bangladesh. Project activities include: developing and implementing protected area (PA) management plans for protected forest areas in collaboration with local communities; promoting income generation activities; reducing human-wildlife conflicts; and planting 79,000 hectares of forest, including a “coastal green belt” to enhance climate resilience. The project will include activities in Cox’s Bazar, where nearly one million Rohingya refugees are living. The World Bank has approved US$175 million for the project.
The Second Rural Transport Improvement Project (RTIP II) seeks to rehabilitate rural roads in 26 districts that were damaged by heavy rainfall and floods in 2017. The World Bank will factor climate resilience in the planning, design, implementation and maintenance of the roads, which help millions of people access hospitals, markets and schools. The World Bank has approved US$100 million for the project. [World Bank Press Release] [BSCMFP Webpage] [SUFAL Project Webpage] [RTIP II Project Webpage]